GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals upgraded their status on Sunday. They went from embarrassment to full circle, to the football team that chokes at the end and cannot close out victories in the fourth quarter.
It is little consolation for diehard fans in the Valley, especially those who cared enough to show up at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.
After a 27-24 overtime loss to the Jaguars, it has now been over 70 days since their last home victory. The Cardinals are 3-8 and the odd team out in the powerful NFC West. Visions of a breakout year and a bright future have devolved into a familiar pigskin nightmare.
The Cardinals entered Thanksgiving 2024 in a first-place tie with the Seahawks. They have lost 12 of 17 games since. Given their current condition, it would best serve the team’s long-term future to dive into the tank and lose as many games as possible, which is never a good scene.
To their credit, there was plenty of fight in the home team on Sunday.
After allowing 85 points in the previous two losses, the Cardinals finally perked up on defense. The unit scored a touchdown and intercepted Trevor Lawrence three times, including once in the end zone.
They knew the mistake-prone Lawrence was going to throw them the football, and they were ready.
Garrett Williams foiled what should’ve been a sure touchdown, intercepting a ball tipped by Calais Campbell. And then Budda Baker came up with his first interception in three years.
Walter Nolen III continued to be a bright spot before leaving with a knee injury. He scored a touchdown on what was officially termed a fumble recovery. It was far more impressive than that. Nolen caught the ball midflight with his right arm, which I always believed was an interception; while shedding a block with his left arm; and then rumbling seven hard yards for the touchdown.
Offensively, the Cardinals again produced very little in the running game, forcing Jacoby Brissett to attempt another 49 passes on Sunday. Good news is, Michael Wilson continues to be a revelation, and the biggest condemnation of the previous quarterback. He catches the ball with his hands and possesses an Anquan Boldin-like fury. He has 25 catches in the past two games and must remain a top priority when Marvin Harrison Jr. returns to the field.
Alas, the Cardinals also became one of 13 teams in the last 25 years to win the turnover margin by four and still lose the game (450 wins). And they did so with a series of mind-numbing mistakes. Like:
They unsuccessfully went for it on fourth-and-12 late in the game from their own 28 even though they had all three timeouts and two-minute warning remaining.
When the Jaguars matched that stupidity by eschewing a field goal, the Cardinals roared back to life. But the Cardinals mishandled the clock, failing to spike the ball after a big completion to Wilson (who inexplicably spun the ball in triumph, realized his error, then tried to corral the spinning ball like Rocky chasing the chicken during pre-fight training). They settled for overtime, where they inexplicably went deep on fourth-and-4, throwing up a prayer on their last gasp.
Game over. Along with a chance to earn a week of silence and a potentially enjoyable Thanksgiving.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.